What is the difference between Juris Doctor and Executive Juris?

Asked by: Raphaelle Shields  |  Last update: December 24, 2025
Score: 4.7/5 (37 votes)

The EJD offers more flexibility than the JD program without sacrificing a rigorous education in core legal subjects. The EJD program requires completion of a minimum 72 credit hours, consisting of 30 credit hours in specific core classes and an additional 42 credit hours of electives.

What is the difference between a Juris Doctor and an executive juris doctor?

Unlike traditional full-time JD programs, which typically take three years to complete, executive JD programs usually take roughly double that time to complete. They offer flexible schedules that accommodate the needs of working professionals, and are often structured as evenings, weekends, or online courses.

What is an executive law degree?

Purdue Global Law School's Executive Juris Doctor (EJD) is a professional law degree program designed to help you build a solid legal background you can call upon within your current profession or in a new one.

What is higher than a Juris Doctor?

Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD)

A Doctor of Juridical Science degree is considered the highest level of a law degree and is designed for professionals who are looking to gain an advanced legal education after earning their JD and LLM.

Can you be a lawyer with a juris doctor degree?

Typically, once you earn your Juris Doctor from a law school approved by the American Bar Association, you can earn your licensure to practice law by taking the bar exam.

What is a Juris Doctor Degree in Law? | California J.D. Degree | The Colleges of Law

35 related questions found

Is a JD considered a doctorate or master's?

A JD degree, the American law degree, is a three-year professional degree. A JD is the minimum educational level for lawyers. The JD is considered a professional doctorate.

What does juris mean?

A more thorough explanation: Definition: Juris (joor-is) is a Latin word that means "of law" or "of right." It is often used in legal contexts to describe different types of law. Juris divini: This refers to Roman law that is subject to divine right and divine law.

What type of lawyer makes the most money?

Patent Attorney Salary

Patent attorneys are the highest-paid type of lawyers, with an average salary of $185,351, ranging from $119,88 to $285,530. Various factors contribute to a patent attorney's average salary, including experience, firm, location, and subject matter expertise.

What do you call someone with a juris doctor?

A Juris Doctor degree is technically a professional doctorate. But unlike other Ph. D. holders, lawyers don't hold the title of "Doctor." Instead, they can choose to use the title "esquire," which is shortened to "Esq." and is fashioned after the lawyer's name.

What is the difference between a lawyer and a juris doctor?

Esq. stands for Esquire and is added to a lawyer's name once they pass the bar exam. J.D. stands for Juris Doctor, which is earned by graduating from law school. Someone given the title of J.D. has received a law degree but cannot practice law because they're not a bar member.

Is an executive juris doctor worth it?

5 Benefits of Pursuing an Executive JD Program

Pursuing an Executive JD program is a great way to gain a competitive edge in your career. It opens up diverse career opportunities, from leadership roles in legal departments to administrative positions in large companies.

What is an executive lawyer?

Executive lawyers may include attorneys with:

Law firm leadership roles such income partners in large firms or partners in regional, small, and solo practices. Government or non-profit leadership or supervisory roles such as commissioner, deputy attorney general, and executive director.

Why is a juris doctor not a doctor?

It requires at least three academic years of full-time study. While the JD is a doctoral degree in the US, lawyers usually use the suffix "Esq." as opposed to the prefix "Dr.", and that only in a professional context, when needed to alert others that they are a biased party – acting as an agent for their client.

Is a juris doctor prestigious?

Clearly the JD is more prestigious. A JD enables you to practice law, and also confers the title of Doctor. An MD confers the title of Doctor, but does not enable you to practice law.

Is juris education legit?

About Juris Education: Juris Education is a leading law school admissions consulting firm with a team of 120+ law school admissions experts and LSAT tutors. Juris has 15+ years of experience helping students get accepted to competitive law programs with a 94% success.

Is a JD equivalent to a Masters?

A: No, J.D. is considered a professional doctorate. Interestingly, lawyers in America will first obtain a J.D. and then apply for a master's degree since it allows them to specialize in a certain area of the law.

What is the highest law degree?

Doctor of Juridical Science

In most schools, the Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) is the most advanced law degree you can earn and is a common requirement for law professors. Most SDJ graduates spend their careers teaching, researching, and writing in a specific area of interest.

Does having a JD make you a lawyer?

Earning a J.D. doesn't make someone a lawyer, but it is the first step in the process to begin practicing as one. Graduates of J.D. programs can sit for the bar examination in their state – upon passing the exam, they can then practice law.

What field of law is most in demand?

Which Legal Fields Are in Demand?
  • Intellectual property law. ...
  • Family law. ...
  • Immigration & naturalization law. ...
  • Real estate law. ...
  • Contract management. ...
  • Compliance. ...
  • Labor and employment. ...
  • Corporate transactions. Also known as mergers and acquisitions, or M&A, this work navigates the buying and selling of companies and their assets.

Can lawyers make 300k a year?

Well, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for attorneys in the US is just over $125,000. The highest-paid lawyers (10% of the legal workforce) make over $208,000 However, the top 1% of attorneys make $500,000 or more per year.

Which type of lawyer is the richest?

The highest-paid lawyers typically specialize in fields such as corporate law, intellectual property, tax law, medical malpractice, and entertainment law. These areas command higher salaries due to the complexity, demand, and financial stakes involved.

What is a Juris Doctor vs executive Juris Doctor?

The EJD is not a JD, but is an innovative law degree offered by a law school. The EJD is designed for individuals who want to become extremely knowledgeable about the law and develop legal skills, but do not intend to practice law as an attorney. The EJD requires 3 full academic years of law study.

Is Juris Doctor JD or JD?

The Juris Doctor (JD) is a postgraduate degree in the field of law that is mandatory for anyone who desires to practice law in most countries, including the United States of America.

Is Juris male or female?

Juris is mostly a Latvian masculine given name derived from the Greek Γεώργιος (Georgios), meaning "farmer", and may refer to: Juris Alunāns (1832–1864), Latvian writer and philologist.